Supreme Court in a crucial ruling has recognised transgenders as people of 'third category' gender and has asked the Central government to treat them as socially and economically backward. Prior to this order the transgenders had to mention themselves as either male or female while introducing themselves.

The
apex court's ruling says that the third gender people will be
considered as OBCs, and they will be given educational and employment
reservation as OBCs. The order has also made transgenders eligible
for admission to educational institutions. After getting educated
this community will be entitled for jobs on the basis that they
belong to the third gender category.

In
Focus

The
transgender community is neglected and discriminated in the society.
So far they had no rights in the society as enjoyed by males and
females. For the first two gender categories, the transgenders are
the people who come and dance on occasions like child birth and
wedding.

Transgenders
can be easily spotted demanding money from passengers in trains,
buses and on crossings. This community has criminals also among them.
There were cases where one transgender has killed the other on issues
such as proving supremacy.

This
significant ruling by the Supreme Court has shown a ray of hope of
development for the transgender community.

In
a bid to know how this community feels about the apex court's ruling,
we reached out to few transgenders, who had sung songs in an audio
album namely Caravan.

Amitava Sarkar

From past few years we were struggling
to get an identity at national level and now we have succeeded in
getting that. But I feel community doesn't own same rights that male
and female enjoys. Indian system was totally against us and because
of this we were not getting the equal rights like other citizens of
this nation own. Many of the transgenders hadn't completed their
studies because of lack of social acceptance. Though this judgement
will give us social identity but what about social acceptance, people
have different notion about us. After this another struggle has
started, a struggle to change people's mindset and Indian system
needs to do work on this too. Some sources said that now we will be
provided special reservation that OBC category owns. Government
should provide us with whole details that how beneficial it will be
for us from the perspective of 'owning rights'.

Kalyani

Finally, our community got an identity
at national level. Till now we don't own those rights which common
people enjoy. We have neither voting rights, nor we are Aadhar card
(UID) holders. This judgement has given a ray of hope to us and we
are very happy with it.

Kalki Subramaniam

Today most of transgenders are begging
around. The last generation of this community was illiterate and most
of them were school drop-outs as they were unable to complete their
studies because of lack of acceptance. So, this judgement will slowly
pave a way for their acceptance by the family and the society.